Obama's betrayal of liberalism

[Smoke]

You'll have to excuse me here; I'm probably going to be quoting Chris Hedges quite a bit for a while.

From his Death of the Liberal Class:

Obama lies as cravenly, if not as crudely, as George W. Bush. He promised that the transfer of $12.8 trillion in taxpayer money to Wall Street would open up credit and lending to the average consumer following the financial crisis. It did not. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) admitted that banks have reduced lending at the sharpest rate since 1942. As a senator, Obama promised that he would filibuster amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which retroactively made legal the wiretapping and monitoring of millions of American citizens without warrant; instead, he supported passage of that legislation. He told us he would withdraw American troops from Iraq, close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, end torture, restore civil liberties such as habeas corpus, pass a health-care bill with a robust public option, and create new jobs. Some troops have been withdrawn, slowly and piecemeal, from Iraq, but other than this too-little-too-late process, almost none of his promises have been kept.

He shoved a health-care bill down our throats that will mean ever-rising co-pays, deductibles, and premiums and leave most of the seriously ill bankrupt and unable to afford medical care. Obama, after promising meaningful environmental reform, did nothing to halt the collapse of the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Conference, a decision that ended perhaps our final chance to save the planet from the catastrophic effects of climate change. He empowers Israel's brutal apartheid regime. He has expanded the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where hundreds of civilians, including entire families, have been slaughtered by sophisticated weaponry such as drones and the AGM-144 Hellfire missile, which sucks the air out of its victims' lungs. He is delivering war and death to Yemen, Somalia, and perhaps soon, he will bring it to Iran. Obama is part of the political stagecraft that trades in perceptions of power rather than real power.

​

 

[Levite]

You'll have to excuse me here; I'm probably going to be quoting Chris Hedges quite a bit for a while.

From his Death of the Liberal Class:

Obama lies as cravenly, if not as crudely, as George W. Bush. He promised that the transfer of $12.8 trillion in taxpayer money to Wall Street would open up credit and lending to the average consumer following the financial crisis. It did not. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) admitted that banks have reduced lending at the sharpest rate since 1942. As a senator, Obama promised that he would filibuster amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which retroactively made legal the wiretapping and monitoring of millions of American citizens without warrant; instead, he supported passage of that legislation. He told us he would withdraw American troops from Iraq, close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, end torture, restore civil liberties such as habeas corpus, pass a health-care bill with a robust public option, and create new jobs. Some troops have been withdrawn, slowly and piecemeal, from Iraq, but other than this too-little-too-late process, almost none of his promises have been kept.

He shoved a health-care bill down our throats that will mean ever-rising co-pays, deductibles, and premiums and leave most of the seriously ill bankrupt and unable to afford medical care. Obama, after promising meaningful environmental reform, did nothing to halt the collapse of the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Conference, a decision that ended perhaps our final chance to save the planet from the catastrophic effects of climate change. He empowers Israel's brutal apartheid regime. He has expanded the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where hundreds of civilians, including entire families, have been slaughtered by sophisticated weaponry such as drones and the AGM-144 Hellfire missile, which sucks the air out of its victims' lungs. He is delivering war and death to Yemen, Somalia, and perhaps soon, he will bring it to Iran. Obama is part of the political stagecraft that trades in perceptions of power rather than real power.

​

Leaving aside, for the moment, the crass and offensive characterization of Israel and the US support for the State of Israel in that quote, all the author is doing is proving a point already made.

Many progressive political writers have noted the vanishing of senators, representatives, and presidents who actually embody progressive politics. Eric Alterman wrote, in around 2002 or so, that the entire political paradigm in the United States has simply shifted rightward over the past 50-odd years. He showed quite convincingly that the platform that Al Gore ran on in 2000 was actually noticeably to the right of the platform that Richard Nixon ran on in 1968. And that the platform that Bill Clinton ran on in 1992 was actually sharply to the right of the platform that Eisenhower ran on in 1952. He argued, I think convincingly, that we have not had a truly progressive president since FDR, since even Truman was, according to the political paradigm of the time, a centrist.

Possibly the most insidious success of the radical right wing in the US is the degree to which the majority of the country are ignorant of how radicalized our politics have become, and the degree to which the populace seem unable to connect the economic growth and average prosperity of 1950-1970 with the success of progressive social institutions, such as "New Deal" government programs, the GI Bill, a higher average tax rate on the upper incomes, the enforcement of business regulation and anti-monopoly laws, and government support of labor unions; and the decline in average prosperity, and the emergence of the vast disparity in wealth between the rich and the poor since the 1970s with the gutting of progressive social institutions, the re-emergence of a laissez-faire economy that permits monopolies, guts or avoids regulations, and shuts out labor unions, the decline of education as a priority for funding, and the demise or gutting of "New Deal" government programs, not to mention monumental tax breaks for the wealthy, and illogically high taxes on the poor.

In short, people have no concept of political realia. They don't understand that progressive politics make for a better overall society, and they don't understand that far-right politics are deceitful, favor the rich getting richer at the expense of the poor, and end up getting lots of kids killed in stupid wars.

I won't lie: I voted for Obama. I still think he's making a better job of it than McCain and Palin would've. But I also have thought, from Day One, that he was a centrist (which means that his politics are more or less those of a 1950s Republican, except for the obvious difference concerning races and racism), with an inveterate penchant for talking Left and leaning Right. He talks a decent progressive game, but he has a weak-kneed desire for Republican approval, which means that when given power, he will not make strong, progressive moves that anger the right wing, but will instead squander his opportunities in attempts to placate the right and try to get them in bed. These are the same qualities pretty much all the Democratic hopefuls of 2007 had. None of those who were even remotely electable was a real progressive. I voted for Obama because he sucks marginally less than the other guys. The people who thought he walked on water and would be a progressive messiah just because he's black were tripping, or stupid, or both.

Politicians, especially those currently in US government, tend to be greedy, opportunistic, ruthless, and interested in looking out for Number One. Very few of them are actually interested in helping the people. And those who are, are unelectable to national office, if for no other reasons than they scruple too much to sell their votes to Big Business or the Military-Industrial complex, or the other jackals who buy senators and congressmen as though they came out of a giant vending machine.

Obama only betrayed liberalism because liberals were fool enough to think he was one of them.

 

[Sunstone]

You'll have to excuse me here; I'm probably going to be quoting Chris Hedges quite a bit for a while.

From his Death of the Liberal Class:

Obama lies as cravenly, if not as crudely, as George W. Bush. He promised that the transfer of $12.8 trillion in taxpayer money to Wall Street would open up credit and lending to the average consumer following the financial crisis. It did not. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) admitted that banks have reduced lending at the sharpest rate since 1942. As a senator, Obama promised that he would filibuster amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which retroactively made legal the wiretapping and monitoring of millions of American citizens without warrant; instead, he supported passage of that legislation. He told us he would withdraw American troops from Iraq, close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, end torture, restore civil liberties such as habeas corpus, pass a health-care bill with a robust public option, and create new jobs. Some troops have been withdrawn, slowly and piecemeal, from Iraq, but other than this too-little-too-late process, almost none of his promises have been kept.

He shoved a health-care bill down our throats that will mean ever-rising co-pays, deductibles, and premiums and leave most of the seriously ill bankrupt and unable to afford medical care. Obama, after promising meaningful environmental reform, did nothing to halt the collapse of the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Conference, a decision that ended perhaps our final chance to save the planet from the catastrophic effects of climate change. He empowers Israel's brutal apartheid regime. He has expanded the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where hundreds of civilians, including entire families, have been slaughtered by sophisticated weaponry such as drones and the AGM-144 Hellfire missile, which sucks the air out of its victims' lungs. He is delivering war and death to Yemen, Somalia, and perhaps soon, he will bring it to Iran. Obama is part of the political stagecraft that trades in perceptions of power rather than real power.

​

Chris Hedges is spot on, Smoke! Thanks for these excepts.

 

[Smoke]

the crass and offensive characterization of Israel and the US support for the State of Israel

I didn't care for that either, but I thought the larger point was pretty spot on, and didn't think it would be honest to edit it out or worthwhile to comment on it.

Obama only betrayed liberalism because liberals were fool enough to think he was one of them.

I think a lot of us knew before the election that he wasn't really a liberal. I had to hold my nose to vote for him, and I gather that Sunstone did, too. My nephew couldn't bring himself to vote for Obama at all, and voted for Nader.

Nevertheless, he does attempt to portray himself as something of a progressive, and the liberal establishment seems determined to hold onto that lie come hell or high water.

Can you remember where you read that analysis by Alterman? I'd like to read it too.

 

[Troublemane]

Wow, did I just walk into a parallel universe where i am agreeing with you guys suddenly?

I have thought for a while now that Obama had a little "sit down" meeting after he got into office, and was told (1) we cannot leave Afghanistan as it generates money for the military industrial complex, (2) there cannot be a public option because the trial lawyers and the drug companies are the biggest lobbiests and not to mention the insurance companies, (3) the bail out of wall street at the expense of main street is what the Federal Reserve is all about, its actually what it was made to do (lender of last resort was its primary purpose)...

Obama may not be as good an actor as Reagan, but I think he is giving us the same song and dance!

 

[Revoltingest]

Obama may not be as good an actor as Reagan, but I think he is giving us the same song and dance!

Reagan was smarter, a better speaker, & a better looking dude.
(Note: I didn't vote for him.)

 

[Sunstone]

I think a lot of us knew before the election that he wasn't really a liberal. I had to hold my nose to vote for him, and I gather that Sunstone did, too.

Yeah, I didn't think I had any choice but to vote for him given the alternative. Still, I thought he would be at least marginally better than he has turned out. I never imagined he would be virtually interchangeable with George Bush.

 

[xkatz]

We need a Centrist- someone who won't cater to one side of the political paradigm or another and is not loyal to the parties. The parties are the main source of political turmoil in our nation IMHO.

 

[Sunstone]

A genuine centrist would immediately be smeared by nearly everyone as a radical leftist.

 

[xkatz]

A genuine centrist would immediately be smeared by nearly everyone as a radical leftist.

Unfortunately you are probably correct. The "left" in the USA is merely an illusion.

 

[YmirGF]

The "left" in the USA is merely an illusion.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around that idea.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

I voted for Obama but it'll all be over soon. Maybe not soon enough for some though. He won't be re-elected.....so after he's out the people will have someone else to complain about. Shucks, I have a hard enough time running my life so I have idea what's it's like to have the weight of a country on your shoulders. Sometimes I look at that job, be it a republican or democratic president, like you're darned if you do and you're darned if you don't. He or she could never pleases all the people all the time and would barely be able to please some of the people some of the time.

I did find this funny;
[youtube]C5nu5GRDzog[/youtube]
YouTube - The Distinguished Gentleman

 

[Smoke]

Sometimes I look at that job, be it a republican or democratic president, like you're darned if you do and you're darned if you don't. He or she could never pleases all the people all the time and would barely be able to please some of the people some of the time.

I'm not sure just what kind of person would be pleased with any of our last few presidents.

What it comes down to for both major parties is screwing over the American people for the sake of multinational corporations. There are vanishingly few American politicians who can credibly be described as either liberals or conservatives. The vast majority are just whores.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm not sure just what kind of person would be pleased with any of our last few presidents.

John Galt?

 

[Sunstone]

The "left" in the USA is merely an illusion.

Understanding that is one of perhaps a half dozen to dozen keys to cutting through the propaganda and genuinely understanding what's going on in American politics. But most people are going to go with the herd, go with the propaganda.

 

[dust1n]

Aye, I can't wait to relive the Post-Civil War era.

EDIT: Well, not 'relive', but live the re-event.

 

[Sunstone]

To me, the fascinating thing is something Alceste pointed out. First, Obama ran as a center-left candidate. Once elected, he performed a bait and switch and became Bush III. But look at this: When he ran to the left of the center, he attracted huge crowds and won the popular vote by a decisive margin. But when he shifted to the right, his popularity began dropping. I think that tells us the American electorate will massively support a center-left candidate under the right circumstances.

 

[Sunstone]

Aye, I can't wait to relive the Post-Civil War era.

EDIT: Well, not 'relive', but live the re-event.

Me too, Dustin! I'm looking forward to it. For one thing, I sure hope they repeal the popular election of senators. I want them to be just like in the old days.

 

[Magic Man]

Well, I think this is a bit harsh. I agree that it would be nice if Obama was more liberal, but he's gotten some good stuff done. Yes, we should be out of Afghanistan. Yes, the healthcare bill could have been a lot better. Yes, we could have much more progress on DADT. However, you have to remember what he's up against in this country. As was noted, a centrist like him is decried as a flaming liberal. Most major policies in this country start small. Social Security started small, for instance. You usually don't just get a major change all in one bill. You get a step in the right direction, and then that gets added onto as time goes by. The same is true of Medicare.

I think Obama's getting a really horrible rap, and seeing so many people buy into it is disappointing to me. Obviously, he's not the greatest president we've ever had, or probably not even in the last 30-40 years, but he's done some good things.

 

[Sunstone]

...but he's done some good things.

Such as?